Proud Italian Cook

Grazing on a Sunday Afternoon!

May 25, 2009 by Marie 44 Comments

Hope all of you had a great Memorial Day weekend, we opted for a nice antipasto bar instead of grilling, you know, a little bit of this and a little bit of that. The weather here in Chicagoland was picture perfect on Sunday, a great day to sit out in the fresh air.

No fuss, everything made ahead of time, and all could be eaten at room temperature. Assorted olives, cheeses, salami, some good Italian bread, marinated artichokes, peperonata, zucchini parpadelle, green beans and pesto potato salad, orzo pasta salad, grilled eggplant with a smear of Boursin cheese then rolled up, and Stacey Snacks stuffed tomatoes with ricotta. Note* (hers looked better she had panko on top, I didn’t have any at the time).

Oh, did I mention the pitchers of frozen Margarita’s were awesome too! I couldn’t resist taking a few sips before I shot the photo!

Buon Appetito Everyone!

44 Comments Filed Under: Appetizers Tagged: antipasto bar, finger food

Spring Rolls, Italian Style!

May 21, 2009 by Marie 42 Comments

I love spring rolls, but have always been intimidated by them. Maybe it’s because it’s an Asian thing and that’s totally out of my league. I heard horror stories of spring roll skins ripping and sticking together, but even so I was determined to try them!

I wanted to make these for our annual picnic at Ravinia last August, but chickened out at the last minute for fear I would ruin it all. Spring rolls are light, not fried, usually filled with fresh veggies, chicken or shrimp, always accompanied by a delicious dipping sauce, and best of all, everything is enclosed in a pretty little package, easy to handle, great to transport, perfect for a picnic, as a light appetizer, or even a light lunch.

Well I’m happy to say the whole process was very easy! I actually made Asian spring rolls first, with shrimp, shredded carrots, cabbage, cilantro and a little hoisen sauce in each. We dipped them in a great Asian sauce I got from Trader Joe’s.

But since this is an Italian food blog I wanted to do a little twist on the classic and try making them Italian style!

All you do is take your wrappers, place them in warm water til they melt a little and become limp. I then laid each wrapper on a clean dish towel and padded them dry
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I had all my ingredients ready, cooked shrimp, marinated artichokes, (drained), roasted red pepper strips, and raw zucchini, julienned. Next, I placed everything onto a wrapper with a dollop of basil pesto, a drizzle of olive oil, a little salt and pepper, then rolled it all up like a burrito!

For my Italian version I used basil pesto as a dipping sauce, but I want to experiment with other things. Do any of you have any idea’s? I would love your input.

Next time you’re hesitant about trying something out of your comfort zone, don’t be, give it a try, because these were amazing!!

Have a relaxing weekend, and Buon Appetito!!

42 Comments Filed Under: Appetizers, Party Foods Tagged: Appetizers, italian spring rolls, party food, picnic food

Grilling Sides!

May 15, 2009 by Marie 54 Comments

BBQ season is now upon us, and eating Al fresco is one of the highlights of summer for me.
Simple and inexpensive vegetables can become delicious sides for your main course with just a little tweaking. Try these for your next cook out, your guests will be very happy and so will you!

Balsamic Glazed Onions

I like to use a sweet onion, like a Vadalia, cut it into about 1/2 inch disk, make your own balsamic vinaigrette. Take 1 or 2 wooden skewers and pierce through the onion so all layers stay in tact while flipping on the grill. Generously brush your onions on both sides with the vinaigrette, season with salt and pepper.

Corn Cobs with Parmesan Garlic Butter Crust

Cook your corn in salted water, drain and cool down. In a bowl melt butter, add 1 crushed garlic clove, a little olive oil, salt and pepper. In another bowl add a hand full of panko breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese. Roll corn in butter, then breadcrumb mixture, and cook on a hot grill for about 10 minutes till golden brown.

Grilled Potato Disks

Cut your potatoes into round disks, I used red potatoes here but any kind would do. Toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper and add fresh snipped rosemary. Place on your grill and cook till fork tender, crusty and golden brown. You could even cheat a little and nuck them a little first in the microwave before you toss them in the oil till tender, and then throw them on the grill to crisp up.

I served these with your classic BBQ chicken, how can you go wrong with that!